No longer just in the “Hood”: The new face of Heroin

There’s a new face to heroin.

As far back as the Vietnam war America has had a problem with the opiate Heroin on the streets of just about every major city and heavily present in the African American community, but little has been done to remove it. As with everything else allowed to fester, Heroin has now made its way from the hood to the suburbs spreading like wildfire and suddenly it has been noticed by the powers that be. Law enforcement has seen an increase in suspects being in possession of the drug or under its influence steadily rise for the past few years. This is the sad part. For years heroin was usually used by minorities and was distributed in slums and ghettoes across America. Then, nobody cared for the safety of their kids while in school because it was believed the only way to come in contact with its users or dealers was to go into that environment.

Enter 2013 and the story has changed dramatically. Now it can be found in just about any setting and the children of those suburbanites are being arrested for being in possession of Heroin so NOW its a problem, an epidemic. In Ocean county 107 people have died in 2013 as a result of overdoses and more have had one major medical problem or another. But look at the faces that are on the pages of the Asbury Park Presses cover story. Look at the names and ask yourself, what’s so new about this problem? Most of us have had a family member or friend who’s been doing it for years. Where was the press when Ms. Jackson lost her son to an overdose almost 20 years ago?

The problem is help. There are “alternative” medicines such as suboxone and methadone but then they themselves are addictive and the effects they take on your body after years of treatment is a deterrent in itself. No major hospital in our area offers any detox program and most program beds are filled with “court ordered” patients not people who want help. What is the solution? We have to elect the right people in the right places to make those changes. Until then, all we have are those stories of poor Timmy McLane and Anthony tortellini who rebelled from their families and got caught up with the “ghetto” drug, While minorities all over this country who are without health care.

There’s a new face to heroin, and it’s no longer in the hood. 

Follow Unheard Voices on Twitter